Ratings are based
on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst. 3 ... average.
5 is the highest rating.

Otaku

Name: Armaldo

Color: Fighting

Type: Stage 2 (evolves from Anorith)

HP: 120

Weakness: Grass

Resistance: None

Retreat: CCC

Poké-BODY: Primal Veil

As long as Armaldo is your Active Pokémon, each
player can’t play any Supporter cards.

Attack#1: (FFC) Blade Arms [60]

Attributes: Armaldo is the only
version of itself available, so that means that it doesn’t
have to beat itself out to be in a deck, but neither can you
toss in a copy or two into a pre-existing Armaldo deck. It’s
Fighting, which as a type (note, Weakness, Resistance and the
like are related to type, but not automatic, so they are not
included in this assessment) is pretty strong: there are many
Pokémon that are weak to it, and while there is Resistance, it
is no longer as wide spread. This is also a Stage 2 Pokémon,
which is basically the “worst” you can be: it requires two
other cards to get into play, no matter how you get it into
play. Fortunately, being a Stage 2 came with some perks,
apparently (see the Abilities Section). There
are few solid Stage 2 Fighting Pokémon out there, namely the
Skyridge Machamp (though the Expedition Machamp is useful when
added to that deck), Aquapolis Nidoking, and perhaps
Expedition Golem. So it’s a mixed blessing: there is only a
small niche for Fighting decks, but there is not much
competition for it.

It has the maximum HP it can without being a
dual-Weakness Pokémon ex. Needless to say, that is
great. ^_^ It is Grass Weak, which is about as bad as most
Weaknesses. At least there aren’t a lot of strong Grass
Basics that can be splashed into any color of deck in Eon-in
Unlimited, though, we have Jungle Scyther. x_x Sadly this card
lacks resistance, like so many others. Its retreat is three,
which is one more than I consider “average”. I case I haven’t
mentioned it clearly enough before, I consider a retreat of
two average, not in the mathematical sense, nor in the sense
that is it most common, but in that it is the point at which
anything less is something of an advantage, and anything over
is a disadvantage. Fortunately, this is just one over, so if
you absolutely must, you can pay it, but I don’t recommend it.

Before I go on, I must of course address its
lower stages. This card evolves from Anorith which in turn
evolves from Claw Fossil.

Name: Claw FossilType:
TrainerText: Play Claw Fossil as if it were a Basic
Pokémon. While in play, Claw Fossil counts as a (C) Pokémon
(instead of a Trainer card). Claw Fossil has no attacks of
its own, can’t retreat, and can’t be affected by any Special
Conditions. If Claw Fossil is Knocked Out, it doesn’t count
as a Knocked Out Pokémon. (Discard it anyway.) At any time
during your own turn before your attack, you may discard Claw
Fossil from play.

Poké-BODY: Jagged Stone

If Claw Fossil is your Active Pokémon and is
damaged by an opponent’s attack (even if Claw Fossil is
Knocked Out), put 1 damage counter on the Attacking
Pokémon.

Name: Anorith

Color: Fighting

Type: Stage 1 (evolves from Claw Fossil)

HP: 80

Weakness: Grass

Resistance: None

Retreat: C

Attack#1: (C) Fast Evolution

Search your deck for an Evolution card, show it
to your opponent, and put it into your hand. Shuffle your
deck afterward.

Attack#2: (FC) Pierce [30]

Name: Anorith

Color: Fighting

Type: Stage 1 (evolves from Claw Fossil)

HP: 80

Weakness: Grass

Resistance: None

Retreat: C

Attack#1: (F) Slash [20]

Attack#2: (CCC) Double Scratch [40x]

Flip 2 coins. This attack does 40 damage times
the number of heads.

Of the Fossils, Claw Fossil is probably best.
Given the new rule that you can play them from your hand in
the beginning as a Pokémon, they might be nice for low Basic
decks. They may be weak, but can be discarded at will from
play and don’t count as a price, and it places a damage
counter if attacked! As for the Anorith, I recommend running
some of both, perhaps along with some Rare Candy. The first
Anorith is good for setting up but the second is a solid
attacker in its own right. Still, you may want to get Armaldo
in play ASAP, hence the Rare Candies.

Abilities: First, I’ll discuss
the attack. FFC should yield 40, so we get a 20 damage
bonus. Not bad for a Stage 2 (they need something to offset
the difficulty in getting them into play). 60 will take out
most basics, and it can OHKO a Chansey ex (not that
people play it a lot). Now we see what makes it a possible
new archetype: Primal Veil. Most of the best Trainers in Eon
right now are Supporters, and with Armaldo active, they are
all shut down. It’s a mixed blessing that is has to be
active: this makes it easier for you to get around it but also
easier on your opponent.

Notes and Combinations: Okay,
most obvious idea is to run this with a lot of “switching”
cards for your own Pokémon, letting you retreat, use your own
supporters, and then switch back out and attack. Such a deck
probably would want the free retreating Marril (which is good
in its own right). Add onto this Pokémon Nurse and a second
Armaldo (in case of an opposing Warp Point or the like) and
you got a nasty deck. Sadly, there isn’t a real good Fire
Pokémon that is easy to splash into non-Fire decks to cover
the Grass Weakness, though. Maybe Skyridge Skarmory since it
could bench itself with its second attack if it takes out the
Grass threat (only 50% chance though).

Ratings

Unlimited: 1.5/5-Scyther, a lack of
heavy Supporter use, and lack of speed hurt it bad here.

Modified: 4/5-I strongly believe that
this could become an archetype here. Supporters are vital to
every deck.

2-on-2: 4.5/5-definite archetype here.
Combo it with a strong and preferably basic attacker, then hit
them hard while they can’t set up. @_@

Draft: 3/5-Claw fossil=good here.
Anorith (non-searcher) = good here, as I learned from
experience. Anorith searcher if you have Armaldo = god here.
Not many Trainers played, let alone Supporters, but it’s still
a nice, strong Pokémon.

-Otaku

Ralphy

I don't care what Nintendo calls
this, it's an Armadillo. Armaldo is like some sort of Spanish
name, not a pokemon. Regardless of what you want to call it,
Armadillo is going to be a powerful card in Modified.

Unlimited- Not great, but on the
other hand, not entirely terrible either. On the plus side, 60
is enough to KO all the good Colorless Pokes including
that Chansey you just ERed until it wet it's pants. On the
negative side of the coin, Stage 2's never run smoothly and a
stage 2 that evolves from a trainer will be very tough to get
off the ground. With Lass, Slowking, and Chaos Gym, Armadillo
might never get into play, ever. The power is pretty
much useless here too. Nobody plays Supporters in Unlimited. It
just slows things down, and Unlimited is all about speed.
Scyther will rip you a new one to add to the negative. All
around, how you say, not good. 1.5/5 here.

Modified- I am going to run one of
these lines in my Modified deck. The power is wicked good here.
All of the good draw trainers are Supporters in this format and
this shuts down all Supporters. Just your opponents Supporters.
Basically, if you can get one of these out fast enough, your
opponent won't be able to do such things as draw cards, get card
back from the discard, and search cards out of their decks.
Basically winning you the game. Great attack too. 60 straight is
good for 4 energy, but for 3 and one of them being colorless. I
haven't played it yet, but I'm going to give it a
preliminary 4/5.

Limited- Armadillo is pretty nice in
draft. The power might turn out to be useless, but if your
opponent picks up a great Supporter, it becomes useless. The
Root Fossil is common and their are two Anoriths. One of which
can search out any evolution from your deck for only *C*. The
other has a splashable attack, which makes the whole Armadillo
line draft friendly. Straight 60 is enough to clear most draft
Pokes from the table in one shot. 2 for almost all others. 3.5/5
here.

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